Abdominal supporter



Mar. 6,1923. M41904.

v I. B. SINCLAIR.

ABDOMINAL SUPPQRTEB.

FILED JUNE 21, 192k 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- I nveni'ow Idall. Swine Z6023? 11-1 4M v M/fij Mar. 6, 1923.

B. SINCLAIR. ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HLED JUNEZI, 192l- Emir.-

B. MM

Patented Mai. e, 192a.

tamer IDA. B. SINCLAIR, OF BASS POINT, MASSACHUSETTS.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

Application filed June 21, 1921. Serial No. 479,420."

T all 1072,0772 it may concern scription herein,

Be it known that I, IDA B. SINCLAIR, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Bass Point, Nahant, county of Essex, and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have in vented an Improvement in Abdominal Supporters, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to abdominal supporters and its object is toprovide an improved device of that nature having, among others, theadvantages hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing of one embodiment of my invention selected forillustration and de- Fig. 1 is a perspective of the belt;

Fig. 2, an outside elevation of the front plate; 7

Fig. 3, an outside elevation of the back plate; and 1 Fig. 4, anelevation of the several sectilo-ns making up the front plate disassembed. I

My novel belt or supporter, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, comprises a substantiallykeystone shaped semi-flexible front portion or plate a including inturn, Fig.4, a'plurality of sections 1, 2, 3, 4, each irregularlyshaped, and properly secured together at their side edges.

In order to provide the. relief desired by those who need such asupporter, it must be so fashioned as to properly fit and support theparts of the body requiring relief. To that end the upper portion or topof the front plate should be longer than the bottom portion, and thearea of the sections therebetween sufficiently convex to receive andsupport comfortably the lower portion of the abdomen. Accordingly thetwo sections 2, 3, are somewhat longer than the adjoining sections 1, 4,to contribute to that end.

l/Vhile the upper edge 5 of the front plate is curved upwardly to permitthe plate when in use to accommodate itself to the contour of theabdomen, the lower edge 6 is, for a similar reason, curved downwardly sothat it may fit beneath and support the lower portion of the abdomen.

Now heretofore, in order to provide the shape desired in the frontplate, it has been common to use elastic webbing in connection with theothermaterial of which the plate was made, to fashion the material byshrinkpointed out.

ing it or otherwise, or to lacetwo ormore. sections together. c

But these methods ,only give temporary results and when the webbingloses its re-- siliency orthe artificial fashioning, as by shrinking,yields to the result of the continual strain, the belt ceases toperformits function. And if the parts are laced, the open spa-cc spannedby the lacing is-only partly .closed and consequently capable of givingrelatively less support.

By properly fashioning suitable material however, the belt will continueto function properly. -To that end therefore,, l[ select material suchas firm duck ol, canvas that will not stretch, and properly fashion'thel r r several sections of which I it is made, as

In order to obtain the necessary convexity in the front plate as-awhole, Fig. 4,. the

abutting edges of the sections 1, 2, 3, 4, arewr curved to the extentindicated. It will be noted that each'section has atleast one convexside or edge, that sections'2, 3, have each 1 two upright side convexedgesand preferably two convex end edges and when secured together willnot stretch nor shrink materially with usage. p

After the adjoining edges'of sections 1 to 4 have been suitably stitchedor otherwise secured, Figs. 1,2, 3, one or more pieces of a featherboneor other suitable stiffening material or stays 7 are properly secured asstitching,to the sections andpreferably -lo-. cated over the adjoiningedges or seams of sections 12, 23, 3-4.

These stays, Fig. 2, are preferably covered with the material of thebelt in the shape of strips 8, thus forming a pocket, so to speak, forthe stay, the strip being stitched over the same tothe sections 1, 2, 3,4. These stays of course prevent the plate'or the sec tion from beingwrinkled or from collapsing, and ensure that theywill retain theirpropershape, while permitting necessary flexing for comfort of the body.

The top and bottom edges 5, 6, Fig. 2, an opposite end edges 9, 10, ofthe front section are preferably bound with tape and stitched in theusual manner. To further strengthen the plate and to form connectingmeans for the front and back plates, I provide the straps 11, 12, 13.These straps are of strong webbing and secured asby stitching, to theupper and lower edges and middle or central leave the ends of the plateconverge somewhat. They are stitched to and across the stays 7 andstrips 8 themselves, thus more positively positioning the stays.

This converging of the straps has the effect to reduce the width of thecombined straps ll, 12, 13, to more comfortably fit above and rest uponthe hips and also to al low the straps to fully perform their functionof supporting the abdomen without any tendency to distort the naturaloutline of the front plate and to allow the latter to render all theassistance naturally flowing from its peculiar outline and convexsurface.

The back plate I), Fig. 8, comprises preferably a sheet of the samematerial as that of which the sections 1 to 4- are made. This section isalso curved somewhat along its top and bottom edges i l, 15, with itsends 16, 17, tapering outwardly from the top to the bottom and also is,in general, shaped like an inverted keystone.

This provides a somewhat longer plate at its bottom edge compared withthe top edge I and permits it to lie comfortably over the hips andgivethe desired support, while conforming generally to the shape of thewaist.

The back plate like the front, is also provided with upper and lowerstraps 1 8, 20, which are attached to the upper and lower edges of theplate and at least one middle strip 19,. and extended therefrom at eachend and provided with buckles or other suitable fasteners securedthereon at a suitable angle to prevent the formation of any slack ineither the upper or lower edges of either straps or plates.

This back plate is also provided with stays 21, 22, 28, secured in thesame manner as are those in the front plate. The plate is also-suppliedwith depending straps 24, 25,

if desired, to whichgarters may be attached for supporting the stockingsand which thus,

to some extent, serve to hold the supporter down and prevent it fromworking upward about the waist.

While my novel supporter is designed for use in connection with anytrouble requiring the use of a supporter, it is particularly valuable introuble arising from injury to the sacro iliac joint. It is valuablealso in connection with a suitable pad for ptosis and in other caseswhere support for a distended stomach is desired to remove pressure fromthe intestines.

My invention is not limited to the construction illustrated, but itsscope is determined rather by the appended claims.

Claims:

1. An abdominal supporter comprising, in combination, front and backplates formed of flexible material, each having a curved upper and loweredge and being suitably shaped to conform to the contour of the body, aplurality of approximately vertical stays secured to each of saidplates, straps secured along the upper and lower edges of said platesthroughout the length of the plates and connected to said stays, wherebyto distribute tension uniformly over the plates, and adjustableconnections between the respective straps.

2. An abdominal supporter comprising, in combination, front and backflexible plates shaped to conform to the contour of the body, eachhaving a plurality of stays secured thereto and extending substantiallytransversely of the length of the plate, and straps secured along theupper and lower edges of said plates throughout the length of the platesand connected to said stays, whereby to distribute tension uniformlyover the plates.

In testimony, whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

